When the larger culture abandons God and biblical values

For the last several decades, it has been common to hear America described as a “post-Christian nation.” This does not mean that America can never turn back to some of its very Christian roots. Rather, it means that what used to be Christian-based, cultural norms are no longer norms today.

The implications of this are massive, representing a seismic cultural shift. It is imperative that we respond rightly.

A few years ago, I was speaking to a black pastor in Charlotte, North Carolina. He told me that when he was growing up, any adult in the neighborhood who saw a child misbehave could correct that child or even discipline him. Doing that today might get you shot.

He also said that the older generation would commonly admonish the younger generation to act with respect and dignity, pointing to the example of Dr. King. Now, he said, the young people hardly know who King is. Things have really changed.

Of course, not all of this is a matter of being post-Christian. But it does reflect some of the seismic shifts we are witnessing.

I have often cited the findings of psychologist David Myers who noted that, “Had you fallen asleep in 1960 and awakened today (even after the recent uptick in several indicators of societal health) would you feel pleased at the cultural shift? You would be awakening to a:

• Doubled divorce rate.
• Tripled teen suicide rate.
• Quadrupled rate of reported violent crime.
• Quintupled prison population.
• Sextupled (no pun intended) percent of babies born to unmarried parents.
• Sevenfold increase in cohabitation (a predictor of future divorce).
• Soaring rate of depression – to ten times the pre-World War II level by one estimate.

Need I say that things have continued to change since 2000? Need I say that, 21 years ago, the idea of the Supreme Court redefining marriage or the White House being lit up in rainbow colors would have sounded like madness? Or that the idea that the Olympic icon Bruce Jenner would be named Woman of the Year by GlamourMagazine and, as a woman, would run for governor of California would have sounded like a cruel joke?

My colleague Prof. Darrell Bock has noted that, in times past, we could say to people, “We know this is true because it’s in the Bible.” Now, he notes, we must say, “This is in the Bible because it’s true.”

What was taken for granted is no longer taken for granted. And that means that we make a grave error to take certain truths as self-evident and widely accepted. That is not the case anymore.